Temporary and semi-permanent support and/or display structures are built for such events as rock band music tours, corporate displays at trade shows, set designs for movies, film and television productions, architectural center pieces and a variety of other uses such as for retail environments and displays, office or residential furniture pieces. The structures built for such events typically are assembled quickly for the particular event, to support lighting fixtures, display fixtures and the like, and are disassembled immediately after the event. Accordingly, the structures must be configured such that they can be assembled and disassembled quickly, easily and safely.
Depending on the particular venue, functional and aesthetic requirements will be identified for the structure to be constructed. The design parameters may further change during construction of the structure due to spatial considerations or the like. To accommodate the various functional and aesthetic requirements, the structures are generally built using a truss system that can be configured and engineered to adapt to a desired new design or orientation. Such truss systems are typically made up of a number of individual truss assemblies that are connected to one another in a particular fashion to form a rigid framework system. Such truss assemblies may be used to support a larger load or span a greater distance than can be accomplished effectively by a single beam or column.
Truss assemblies known in the art are typically formed from a number of metallic elements. Example, truss assemblies known in the art are formed from a number of metal chords that are connected together by a matrix of metal bracing or spanning members that are welded to the chords during the staging step of the assembly process. In many instances, the matrix of metal bracing is formed on-site by welding a number of differently configured metal pieces to the chords. This is both a time consuming and cost intensive process.
In many instances, the truss assemblies used to form the truss system are custom formed, having a particular size or shape, to provide the particular desired truss system structure. Thus, the exact number and configuration of the different truss assemblies that are formed to provide a particular truss system can and will vary depending on the particular truss system application.
An issue that exists with the above-noted conventional method of providing truss systems is the need to custom build custom intersections to enable the individual truss assemblies to be combined together in a desired manner for each different truss system application. This need for having a custom manufactured truss assembly element generally increases the cost and time associated with providing a desired truss system. This need also limits the ability of potentially being able to reuse the piece for different truss system applications, thereby resulting in a wasted or generally unusable truss assembly element once the truss system is dismantled, which is also not cost effective.
A further issue known to exist relates to the conventional method of building truss assemblies, e.g., from metallic elements, that provides a strength to self weight ratio that is somewhat limited, and that contributes to the overall weight of the truss assembly itself and the resulting truss system. In certain applications, the self weight of the truss assembly may become significant in relation to the load carrying capacity. This self weight may add to both the cost and time associated with transporting the truss assemblies and assembling the truss system.
It is, therefore, desirable that a truss assembly be constructed in a manner that provides an improved degree of flexibility in being able to produce a variety of differently configured truss system from a defined number of truss assemblies, thereby minimizing the cost and time associated with producing the same. Also, increasing the ability to reuse truss assemblies, thereby minimizing wasted stock and inventory. It is also desired the truss assemblies be constructed in a manner that provides improved strength to weight properties, thereby minimizing the cost and time associated with transporting and assembling the truss assemblies, and also enabling the use of truss assemblies for truss system applications not before thought possible.